Brassieres (“bras”) are generally undergarments which a wearer wants to conceal, and which are worn to contour and support the breasts. A backless and strapless bra is a device known in the art and worn under clothing when a bra with traditional shoulder straps would appear under the clothing and detract from the appearance of the clothing. Backless and strapless bras secured to the breast area by adhesive substances to support and cover the breasts are known in the art.
Generally, backless and strapless bras known in the prior art are garments comprised of two cups and connecting material as well as some extraneous material around the cups of the bra extending toward the underarm area. These garments, known in the prior art, provide contouring and a smooth appearance or silhouette to the breasts under clothing, and may also contain padding to further enhance the appearance and shape of the breasts. However, because straps are not present, there is no upward support or counterpressure to counteract gravity resulting in an unsupported appearance of the breasts. Accordingly, backless and strapless bras known in the art have traditionally provided limited support for breasts because of the absence of straps. Thus, women who desire supportive bras are often deterred from wearing backless, strapless bras, and are thus limited in their ability to wear backless and strapless styles of clothing. There is a significant market segment of women desiring the support of a traditional bra having straps, but who would like to wear backless and/or strapless clothing.
A further drawback of strapless adhesive bras, in addition to the loss of support, is the inability to launder the garment. Generally, adhesives which hold strapless bras in place lose their effectiveness upon exposure to moisture, humidity and turbidity while being worn or during the laundering process.
Still another drawback of the prior art is the use of adhesives which are insufficient to hold a garment in place, given the counterpressure of the breasts being supported, for substantial periods of time (e.g., more than a few hours). These adhesives may be applied in a thin coat or over only the cup portions of the bra, and thus an adhesive bra can be worn for only a limited time and/or are disposable bras.
Further, strapless bras are often constructed using minimal fabric to minimize the appearance of the bra under clothing, and thus have limited surface area on which adhesive can be applied.
It is desirable to have a strapless, backless bra which provides support and counterforce of a type and/or in a manner similar to traditional bras having back and/or shoulder straps, but which does not have visible support structures such as straps.
It is further desirable to have a backless, strapless bra which may be laundered, and to which a sufficient quantity of adhesive may be applied over a sufficient surface area to allow continuous wear and support over several hours and on multiple occasions.